


Membrane

by RemainingQuestions



Series: Organic Systemic [3]
Category: Hermitcraft RPF
Genre: Gen, warning for disordered breathing, warning for unhealthy breathing control
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2020-02-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22565617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RemainingQuestions/pseuds/RemainingQuestions
Summary: Take care. The Vex take care.
Series: Organic Systemic [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1623637
Comments: 7
Kudos: 82





	Membrane

Scar had thought that X simply still felt awkward, when he lagged behind after the masks had come off. Had thought he simply struggled to acclimate again, and both he and Cub knew that too much input only made acclimatisation harder. 

So they’d given him his space. 

But he’d fallen further behind, and then he’d fallen down. 

He was wheezing, and it nearly seemed like every breath had been a struggle. 

And then he’d stumbled, and fallen. 

Scar had stumbled under his weight. 

“His mask,” Cub cursed, “not his Mask,” he adjusted as Scar pulled out blue porcelain, “helmet, it has-” Cub was on his knees, roughly checking pockets and latches as their friend’s breaths came slower and slower. 

“Cub,” Scar’s voice was a bad attempt at calming, and he laid a hand on Xisuma’s chest. Felt the energy in him as it was in himself. The Vex wouldn’t let him get hurt, but they could only do so much without direct contact. “He’s  _ protected _ , now-” putting on his Mask now would only make it so much harder when it came off, a band aid that would leave the wound to fester. 

“Helmet, helmet,” Cub muttered, but Scar had seen his eyes flicker up, register the hand over Xisuma’s heart. “Helmet!” And out came the helmet in several parts, neatly tucked into a pocket made specifically for it. 

Cub’s fingers were good at mechanical pieces, and Scar shifted his attention fully to their collapsed friend. He breathed as Xisuma didn’t. Felt his lungs fill, felt the buzz in the air, remnants of their work. He breathed out. Pushed the air out but kept the energy trapped inside, let it slide against the power of the Vex that was always inside him. Spark hit fuel, and Scar pushed the sheer  _ energy _ out and  **out** , into Xisuma. 

Click, and another click, and Xisuma gasped for another breath exactly as Cub slid his helmet over his face. 

The visor sprang to live, numbers and percentages popping up, measurements being taken. 

Neither of them had to read the mirrored script to recognise the color and blinking as  **bad** . 

But Xisuma took another breath, and the numbers adjusted.

Cub laid his hand over Scar’s, and they  _ breathed _ again, too, and the numbers pulled even further up. The weight of his head was making it hard to focus for Scar, but he could do it again, if he really needed.

“Wait.” Cub’s voice was soft, but Scar let his next breath simply slide out. There was no need to push himself like that, yet. Cub was here still. Xisuma was wearing his helmet now. “ _ Wait _ .” 

Scar nodded, but he kept hold of the sparks inside his fingertips, his gut, his lungs. No need to throw it away only to need it later. Even if holding it drained him. 

Xisuma’s eyelids fluttered. 

Cub stroked a finger down a seal, checking that it was properly in place. 

Scar slowly let some of his power slip away. He looked at Cub and shortly nodded. Cub was so good at technological and mechanical things, but Scar’s strength had always lent itself more easily towards the natural world. And right now he felt that Xisuma would come out okay. 


End file.
